Carton



A. J. FESTA Oct. 5, 1965 CARTON 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 20, 1964 UW il WWU/wwf b I'ILJQILI'ITOR Anthony J. Festa 50%@ ATTORNEYS Oct. 5

A. J. FESTA Filed May 20, 1964 2 sneets sheet 2 INVENTOR An'rhony J. Fe s'ro M BY ,Waff/m ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,209,980 CARTON Anthony J. Festa, Brooklyn, NX. Standard Folding Cartons Inc., 85th St. and 24th Ave., Jackson Heights 70, N.Y.)

Filed May 20, 1964, Ser. No. 368,787 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-28) This invention relates to a multi-compartment cellular carton for Christmas tree ornaments, fruits, golf balls, and the like.

l Fragile and easily damaged objects such as Christmas tree ornaments, perishable fruit and the like are frequently packaged in multi-compartment cellular cartons wherein each object is received in an individual compartment or cell of the carton. The carton must protect the objects received therein against damage, and therefore each compartment is advantageously provided with cushioning means for the object received in the compartment and with means for maintaining the object in the compartment out of contact with objects in adjoining compartments. Moreover, it is of great importance that the carton be as economical in its use of paper board or other sheet material as possible in order to keep the cost of the carton as low as possible. However, diticulty is encountered f in reconciling these conflicting requirements-namely, the need for providing adequate protection for the objects contained in the compartments of the carton and the need for providing a carton structure that is economical in its use of sheet material.

I have now devised a multi-compartment cellular compartment which provides excellent protection for fragile or perishable objects received in the carton yet which is extremely economical in its consumption of paper board or other sheet material from which the carton is made. The carton is formed from a substantially rectangular carton blank which consists essentially of a number of substantially rectangular carton panels disposed longitudinally with respect to each other. The rectangular coniiguration of the carton blank makes it possible to produce the maximum number of blanks from a given quantity of sheet material with the minimum loss or waste of the material. The carton blank comprises, serially, a lirst side wall panel, a bottom wall panel, a second main side wall panel, a top wall panel, and a glue flap panel, each of the aforementioned panels being connected to the adjoining panel or panels by laterally extending fold lines. End wall panel portions adapted to form. end walls of the erected carton are advantageously disposed along the longitudinal edges of the bottom wall panel and the top wall panel. The top wall panel is formed with at least one longitudinally extending row of cellular compartments, each cellular compartment being delined by a pair of spaced coextensive longitudinal cut lines, a lateral cut line connecting the adjacent ends of the spaced longitudinal cut lines at one end thereof, a lirst lateral fold line connecting the adjacent ends of the spaced longitudinal cut lines at the opposite end thereof and a second lateral fold line connecting the spaced longitudinal cut lines intermediate the lateral cut line and the rst lateral fold line. The pair of longitudinal cut lines, lateral cut line and first and second lateral fold lines also define a pair of cooperating panel portions, the panel portion adjacent the lateral cut line comprising a glue panel adapted to be adhesively secured to the bottom wall panel when the carton is erected and the panel portion adjacent the lirst lateral fold line comprising a vertical divider panel adapted to separate adjoining compartments of the erected carton. The longitudinal edges of each cellular compartment are advantageously provided with hinged cushioning elements which, in cooperation with similar elements in laterally "ice adjoining compartments, help prevent the contents of the compartments from contacting each other with resulting damage.

The carton blank is erected to form the unique cellular carton of my invention by folding the variouscarton panels about the lateral fold lines and gluing the carton panels in the manner hereinafter described. The erected carton comprises a bottom wall, two side walls each advantageously provided with an upstanding side wall extension or upper portion, a top wall and two end walls formed from interlocking end wall panels, the top Wall being formed with at least one longitudinally extending row of compartments or cells. Each cellular compartment is delined by a pair of spaced coextensive longitudinal cut lines, a lateral cut line connecting the adjacent end of the spaced longitudinal cut line at one e'nd thereof, a first lateral fold line connecting the ends of the spaced longitudinal cui lines at the opposite end thereof and a second lateral folc line connecting the spaced longitudinal cut lines intermediate the lateral cut line and the first lateral fold line The pair of longitudinal cut lines, lateral cut lines and the lirst and second lateral fold lines also deiine a pair ol cooperating panel portions, the panel portion adjacent the lateral cut line comprising a glue panel adhesively secured to the bottom wall panel and the pane portion adjacent the irst lateral fold line comprising z vertical divider panel separating adjoining compartment: of the erected carton. The cellular compartments in eacl longitudinal row areseparated from each other by a nar row, laterally extending portion of the top panel, an( the compartments in adjoining longitudinal rows are sep arated from each other by narrow, longitudinally extend ing portions of the top panel. The top wall of the cartoi is also advantageously provided with downwardly folder cushion elements at the longitudinal edges of each cellula compartment.

My new cellular carton structure will be better under stood from the following description taken in conjunc tion with the accompanying drawing of which FIG. 1 is a plan View of an advantageous embodimen of the carton blank of my invention,

FIG. 2 is a perspective View of the erected cartor formed from the carton blank of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along line 3-3 of FIG. 1 showing the relationship of the top wall, the vertica divider panels, the associated glue panels and the botton Wall.

As shown best in FIG. l, the substantially rectangula carton blank of my invention comprises a plurality of sub stantially rectangular carton panels disposed longitudinallj with respect to each other. The carton panels comprise serially, a lirst upper side wall panel 11, a first main sid wall panel 12, a bottom wall panel 13 (shown with th center of the panel broken away in the interest of con serving space in the drawing), a second main side pane 14, a second upper side panel 15, a top wall panel 16 an' a glue llap panel 17. Each of the aforementioned carto: panels are connected to the adjoining panel or panels b laterally extending fold lines 19 through 24, respectivelj The bottom wall panel 13 is provided with laterall projecting end Wall panel portions 26 and 27 connecte to the longitudinal edges of the bottom wall panel alon longitudinal fold lines 28 and 29, respectively. Sim larly, the top wall panel 16 is provided with laterall projecting end wall panel portions 31 and 32 which ar connected to the longitudinal edges of the top wall pane along longitudinal fold lines 33 and 34, respectivelf The end wall panel portions 26 and 31 cooperate to forr one of the two end wall structures when the carton blan is folded and glued to form the completed carton, an end wall panel portions 27 and 32 cooperate to form th ther of the two end wall structures of the erected car- )n when the carton is erected as described herein.

The top wall panel 16 of the carton blank is formed 'ith at least one longitudinally extending row of cellular Jmpartments, the carton blank shown in the drawing eing formed with four such longitudinally extending uws. Each cellular compartment is defined by a pair of Jaced coextensive longitudinal cut lines 36 and 37, a tteral cut line 3S connecting the adjacent ends of the raced longitudinal cut lines at one end of the pair, a rst lateral fold line 39 connecting the adjacent ends of le spaced longitudinal cut lines at the opposite end lereof, and a second lateral fold line 4t) connecting the )aced longitudinal cut lines 36 and 37 intermediate the teral cut line 38 and the first lateral fold line 39. The `oresaid pair of longitudinal cut lines 36 and 37, lateral 1t line 38 and first and second lateral fold lines 39 and i also define a pair -of cooperating panel portions 42 and l, respectively. The panel portion 42 adjacent the teral cut line 38 comprises a glue panel portion adapted i be adhesively secured to the bottom wall panel 13 hen the carton is erected, and the panel portion 43 adcent the first lateral fold line 39 comprises a vertical trtition panel portion adapted to separate adjoining ngitudinally arrayed compartments of the erected carn.

Each of the cellular compartments is provided with a tir of hinged cushion elements 45 and 46 located along e longitudinal edges of the compartment. The cushion ement 45 is defined by the longitudinal cut line 36, a ngitudinal fold line 48 and a pair of spaced laterally tending cut lines connecting the cut line 36 and the ld line 48, and the cushion element 46 is similarly :fined by the longitudinal cut line 37, the longitudinal ld line 49 and a pair of spaced laterally extending cut les which connect the cut lines 37 and fold line 49. The p wall panel of my new carton blank is further charterized by the fact that the compartments in each lon- :udinally extending row are separated longitudinally 3m each other by a relatively narrow but nonetheless preciable laterally extending portion 54 of the top wall nel, and that `the compartments in adjoining longitunal rows are separated laterally by a narrow but apeciable longitudinally extending portion 55 of the top 1ll panel 16. As a result, the objects received in each mpartment are cushioned by the cushion elements 45 .d 46 and are separated from the objects in adjoining mpartments not only by the vertical divider panels 43 ,d cushion elements 45 and 46 but also by the portions l and 55 which separate each compartment longitunally and laterally from adjoining compartments. The carton blank is erected to form a finished carton 'ucture by folding the first upper side wall panel 11 wardly about the lateral fold line 19 and adhesively :uring the panel 11 to the first main side wall panel The second upper side wall panel 15, together with e top wall panel 16 and the glue fiap panel 17 concted thereto, are then folded about the lateral fold line so that the upper side wall panel overlies the main le wall panel 17 and the top wall panel 16 overlies the ttom wall panel 13. The stippled areas of the second per wall panel 15 and the glue panel portions 42 are :n adhesively secured to the facing surfaces of the main le wall panel 14 and the bottom wall panel 13, reectively. The first main side wall panel 12, together th the first upper side wall panel 11 adhesively secured ereto, are then folded inwardly about the lateral f=old e 20 so that these side wall panels overlie the glue p panel 17 and the adjoining portion of the top Wall nel 16. The glue flap panel 17 is then adhesively :ured to the facing surface of the overlying side wall nels to form a fiat folded, pre-glued carton structure idy to be erected to form the carton structure shown FIGS. 2 and 3. The fiat folded, pre-glued carton blank is fully erected 4 simply by folding the blank about the lateral fold lines 20, 21, 23, 24, 39 and 40 so that the side walls are perpendicular to the top and bottom walls as shown clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3. The end wall panel portions 26 and 31, and 27 and 32, are then interfolded as shown in the drawing to form the end walls of the erected carton.

As shown best in FIG. 2, the erected carton comprises a first upper side wall panel 11 folded downwardly about the fold line 19 and adhesively secured t0 the facing surface of the first main side wall panel 12, a bottom wall panel 13, a second main side wall panel 14, a second upper side wall panel 15 folded downwardly and adhesively secured to the facing surface of the panel 14, a top wall panel 16, and a glue flap panel 17. As noted, the upper side wall panels 11 and 15 are folded about the lateral fold lines 19 and 22, respectively, and are adhesively secured to the facing surfaces of the main side wall panels 12 and 14, respectively. Similarly, the glue fiap panel 17 is adhesively secured to the facing surface of the first side wall panels 11 and 12. The top wall panel 16 is formed with a plurality of longitudinally oriented rows of cornpartments or cells each adapted to receive an object therein. Each compartment is provided with a pair of longitudinally extending cushion elements 45 and 46 and with a vertical divider panel portion 43 hingeably connected to the top wall panel along a lateral fold line 49 and adhesively secured to the bottom wall panel 13 by means of the glue flap panel portion 42. Each compartment in each of the longitudinal row of compartments is separated from adjoining compartments in that row by a narrow lateral strip or portion 54 of the top wall pane 16, and each compartment is separated from the adjoining compartments in adjacent longitudinal rows of compartments by means of a narrow longitudinal strip or portion 55 of the top wall panel. The lateral separator portions 54 of the top panel 16 are stiffened and supported by the vertical divider panel portions 43 hingeably connected thereto, and the longitudinal separator panels 55 are stiffened by the downwardly folded cushion elements 45 and 46 hingeably connected thereto. Thus it will be seen that my new carton structure provides means for cushioning the yobjects received in the compartments of the carton and `means for separating the object in each compartment from similar objects received in adjoining compartments, and it will be appreciated that these important features of my new carton structure are provided by a unique carton blank that requires the practical minimum consumption of paper board or other sheet material from which the carton blank is made.

From the foregoing description of my .pre-glued compartmented carton and the unique carton blank from which it is formed, it will be seen that I have made an important contribution to the art to which my invention relates.

I claim:

1. A carton blank for a multi-compartment cellular carton formed from a plurality of substantially rectangular carton panels disposed longitudinally with respect to each other with adjacent panels connected to each other by a laterally extending fold line, said blank comprising, serially, a first side wall panel, a bottom wall panel, a second side wall panel, a top wall panel, and a glue fiap panel; the bottom wall panel and the top wall panel being provided along their longitudinal edges with laterally extending end wall panel portions adapted to form end walls of the erected carton; the top wall panel being formed with at least one longitudinally extending row of cellular compartments; each cellular compartment being defined by a pair of spaced coextensive longitudinal cut lines, a lateral cut line connecting the adjacent ends of the spaced longitudinal cut lines at one end thereof, a first lateral fold line connecting the adjacent ends of said spaced longitudinal cut lines at the opposite end thereof and a second lateral fold line connecting said spaced longitudinal cut lines intermediate said lateral cut line and said first lateral fold line; each compartment being provided with a pair of cushion elements hingeably connected to the top wall panel at the longitudinal edges of said compartment; said pair of longitudinal cut lines, lateral cut line and first and second lateral fold lines also defining a pair of cooperating panel portions, the panel portion adjacent the lateral cut line comprising a glue panel adapted to be adhesively secured to the bottom Wall panel when the carton is erected and the panel portion adjacent the first lateral fold line comprising a vertical divider panel adapted to separating adjoining compartments of the erected carton.

2. A carton blank for a multi-compartment cellular carton formed from a plurality of substantially rectangular carton panels disposed longitudinally with respect to each other with adjacent panels connected to each other by a laterally extending fold line, said blank comprising, serially, a first upper side wall panel, a first main side wall panel, a bottom wall panel, a second main side wall panel, a second upper side wall panel, a top wall panel, and a glue flap panel; the bottom Wall panel and the top wall panel being provided along their longitudinal edges with laterally extending end wall panel portions adapted to form end walls of the erected carton; the top wall panel being formed with at least one longitudinally extending row of cellular compartments; each cellular compartment being defined by a pair of spaced coextensive longitudinal cut lines, a lateral cut line connecting the adjacent ends of the spaced longitudinal cut lines at one end thereof, a first lateral fold line connecting the adjacent ends of said spaced longitudinal cut lines at the opposite end thereof and a second lateral fold line connecting said spaced longitudinal cut lines intermediate said lateral cut line and said first lateral fold line; each compartment being provided with a pair of cushion elements hingeably connected to the top wall panel at the longitudinal edges of said compartments; said pair of longitudinal cut lines, lateral cut line and first and second lateral fold lines also defining a pair of cooperating panel portions, the panel portion adjacent the lateral cut line comprising a glue panel adapted to be adhesively secured to the bottom wall panel when the carton is erected and the panel portion adjacent the first lateral fold line comprising a vertical divider panel adapted to separate adjoining compartments of the erected carton, the compartments in each longitudinal row being separated from each other by a narrow laterally extending portion of the top panel, and the compartments in adjoining longitudinal rows being separated from each other by narrow longitudinally extending portions of the top panel.

3. A multi-compartment cellular carton formed from a plurality of substantially rectangular carton panels, said carton comprising a first main side wall panel, a bottom wall panel, a second main side wall panel, a top wall panel, a glue flap panel, and end wall panels; the top wall panel being formed with at least one longitudinally extending row of cellular compartments; each cellular compartment being defined by a pair of spaced coextensive longitudinal cut lines, a lateral cut line connecting the adjacent ends of the spaced longitudinal cut lines at one end thereof, a first lateral fold line connecting the adjacent ends of said spaced longitudinal cut lines at the opposite end thereof and a second lateral fold line connecting said spaced longitudinal cut lines intermediate said lateral cut line and said first lateral fold line; each compartment being provided with a pair of cushion elements hingeably connected to the top Wall panel at the longitudinal edges of said compartment; said pair of longitudinal cut lines, lateral cut line and first and second lateral fold lines also defining a pair of cooperating panel portions, the panel portion adjacent the first lateral fold line comprising a vertical divider panel separating adjoining compartments of the erected carton and the panel portion remote from said first lateral fold line comprising a glue panel adhesively secured to the bottom Wall panel of the erected carton.

4. A multi-compartment cellular carton formed from a plurality of substantially rectangular carton panels, said carton comprising a first upper side wall panel extending upwardly, a first main side wall panel extending downwardly from the top edge of the first upper side wall panel and adhesively secured to the facing surface of said first upper side wall panel, a bottom wall panel, a second main side Wall panel extending upwardly, a second upper side wall panel extending downwardly from the top edge of the second main side wall panel andl adhesively secured to the facing surface of said second main side wall panel, a top wall panel secured to the first main side wall panel, and end wall panels; the top wall panel being formed with at least one longitudinally extending row of cellular compartments; each cellular compartment being defined by a pair of spaced coextensive longitudinal cut lines, a lateral cut line connecting the adjacent ends of the spaced longitudinal cut lines at one end thereof, a first lateral fold line connecting the adjacent ends of said spaced longitudinal cut lines at the opposite end thereof and a second lateral fold line connecting said spaced longitudinal cut lines intermediate said lateral cut line and said first lateral fold line; each compartment being provided with a pair of cushion elements hingeably connected to the top wall panel at the longitudinal edges of said compartment; said pair of longitudinal cut lines, lateral cut line and first and second lateral fold lines also defining a pair of cooperating panel portions, the panel portion adjacent the first lateral fold line comprising a vertical divider panel separating adjoining compartments of the erected carton and the panel portion remote from said first lateral fold line comprising a glue panel adhesively secured to the bottom wall panel of the erected carton; the compartments in each longitudinal row of compartments being separated from each other by narrow laterally extending portions of the top panel, and the compartments in adjoining longitudinal rows being separated from each other by narrow longitudinally extending portions of the top panel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,951,624 9/ 60 Schwebs 229--28 3,140,035 7/ 64 Wenzel 229--3C 3,149,770 9/ 64 Spillson 229-3C GEORGE O. RALSTON, Primary Examiner. 

4. A MULTI-COMPARTMENT CELLULAR CARTON FORMED FROM A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR CARTON PANELS, SAID CARTON COMPRISING A FIRST UPPER SIDE WALL PANEL EXTENDING UPWARDLY, A FIRST MAIN SIDE WALL PANEL EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE TOP EDGE OF THE FIRST UPPER SIDE WALL PANEL AND ADHESIVELY SECURED TO THE FACING SURFACE OF SAID FIRST UPPER SIDE WALL PANEL, A BOTTOM WALL PANEL, A SECOND MAIN SIDE WALL PANEL EXTENDING UPWARDLY, A SECOND UPPER SIDE WALL PANEL EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE TOP EDGE OF THE SECOND MAIN SIDE WALL PANEL AND ADHESIVELY SECURED TO THE FACING SURFACE OF SAID SECOND MAIN SIDE WALL PANEL, A TOP WALL PANEL SECURED TO THE FIRST MAIN SIDE WALL PANEL, AND END WALL PANELS; THE TOP WALL PANEL BEING FORMED WITH AT LEAST ONE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING ROW OF CELLULAR COMPARTMENTS; EACH CELLULAR COMPARTMENT BEING DEFINED BY A PAIR OF SPACED COEXTENSIVE LONGITUDINAL CUT LINES, A LATERAL CUT LINE CONNECTING THE ADJACENT ENDS OF THE SPACED LONGITUDINAL CUT LINES AT ONE END THEREOF, A FIRST LATERAL FOLD LINE CONNECTING THE ADJACENT ENDS OF SAID SPACED LONGITUDINAL CUT LINES AT THE OPPOSITE END THEREOF AND A SECOND LATERAL FOLD LINE CONNECTING SAID SPACED LONGITUDINAL CUT LINES INTERMEDIATE SAID LATERAL CUT LINE AND SAID FIRST LATERAL FOLD LINE; EACH COMPARTMENT BEING PROVIDED WITH A PAIR OF CUSHION ELEMENTS HINGEABLY CONNECTED TO THE TOP WALL PANEL AT THE LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF SAID COMPARTMENT; SAID PAIR OF LONGITUDINAL CUT LINES, LATERAL CUT LINE AND FIRST AND SECOND LATERAL FOLD LINES ALSO DEFINING A PAIR OF COOPERATING PANEL PORTIONS, THE PANEL PORTIN ADJACENT THE FIRST LATERAL FOLD LINE COMPRISING A VERTICAL DIVIDER PANEL SEPARATING ADJOINING COMPARTMENTS OF THE ERECTED CARTON AND THE PANEL PORTION REMOTE FROM SAID FIRST LATERAL FOLD LINE COMPRISING A GLUE PANEL ADHESIVELY SECURED TO THE BOTTOM WALL PANEL OF THE ERECTED CARTON; THE COMPARTMENTS IN EACH LONGITUDINAL ROW OF COMPARTMENTS BEING SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER BY NARROW LATERALLY EXTENDING PORTIONS OF THE TOP PANEL, AND THE COMPARTMENTS IN ADJOINING LONGITUDINAL ROWS BEING SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER BY NARROW LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING PORTIONS OF THE TOP PANEL. 